10 top tips to help you be more productive

We all have days where we’re so overwhelmed with all the tasks on our ‘to-do’ list that sometimes we do in fact, do nothing. Sadly, the result of this is that our lists grow longer, our stress levels rise and we feel like we aren’t coping.

When you’re not crossing tasks off your list, you may blame external circumstances such as staff taking sick days, having to deal with parents or just simply running out of time. These are all valid reasons, but as these will likely be the norm, you need to take back control of the situation.

Here are 10 ways you can be more productive with your day:

Try not to tackle your important tasks at peak times for your setting, such as pick up and drop off.

Mess creates stress, so ensure your workspace is clutter free.

Identify tasks which waste precious time during your day (e.g if you check your emails every hour).

Use technology to save time. If you’re spending hours putting together staff rotas or class registers, invest in nursery software which will take this pain away so you can focus your energy on getting more important tasks done.

Limit your emails to just five sentences. The reason? Many emails in your inbox take more time for you to answer than the sender took to write them.

Don’t say yes to every request. Most of us have a deep need to be liked and to please others. This can translate into us saying yes to every request – which is a surefire way to end your productivity!

Understand what times of the day you’re at your most efficient and able to concentrate easily. For some, this may the morning whereas others work better into the late afternoon or evening.

Drink more water. Water makes up over two thirds of the healthy human body and even mild dehydration can result in a drop in mood and energy levels.

Outsource tasks that others can do. Train your staff to answer the phone, book in show rounds and take parents around your setting. This will free up your time to concentrate on more important things that can’t be delegated to others.

“Eat your frog” – American writer Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long! Simply put: identify the task you’re not looking forward to doing the most, then tackle it first.

If you feel like you’re constantly battling the tasks on your to-do list, then nothing will change until you disrupt the status quo and try something new. Put a few of our tips into practice and see how they turn your day around.